4 minute read
Meet the Links: Rich, Terry and Danica
Photo by Kim Lind Photography
www.BlackhawkLivingCA.com
@BlackhawkLivingCA
Story by Megan Scott, Blackhawk resident since 2010
A common experience as ex-pats in London is what brought Terry and Rich Link together about 15 years ago. In Terry’s view, she feels ex-pats tend to stand out and gravitate towards one another. So it was when they were both working on assignments in London that they overheard each other at a restaurant in the South Kensington area. Rich introduced himself to Terry and, within minutes, they realized they had more in common than just being from the US.
Terry was working in London in the music business with Sony/BMG Music at the time, and Rich was with a Silicon Valleybased start-up called FineGround Networks, opening up their European operations. Their similar family backgrounds and mutual love of travel, the outdoors, music and great food ultimately made them inseparable.They were married at LaQuinta Spa and Resort in California just a few years later. “We often joke that Terry, an Alaskan, moved all the way to London to meet a Jersey boy,” says Rich.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Rich is a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park where he earned a mechanical engineering degree. He says he knew early on that he wanted to forge a career in sales and business development as opposed to becoming a practicing engineer. “If there’s one thing engineering school taught me, it is how to tackle a problem. That skill has served me well throughout my career.”
After following his brother’s lead and landing in the Bay Area in the early 90’s, he began to forge his career in technology through his time at various publicly traded tech companies and VC-funded startups. It was the acquisition of Epicentric, an SF-based company by Austin-based Vignette that originally brought him to London, where he ultimately met Terry. “I expected to be in London for about nine months, but ended up living there for more than five years. It was an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” says Rich. He’s currently the VP of Global Alliances at Vera, VC-funded security start-up based out of Palo Alto.
While Terry was born in Los Angeles, her love of the outdoors comes from her time growing up in Anchorage, Alaska where her parents started an automotive parts and tire business before Alaska was even a state. Terry is a graduate of Arizona State University, a logical destination for someone from Alaska, where she earned a finance degree. She also earned an MBA while living and working in London.
Early on in her career, Terry was fortunate enough to land a finance role at Sony/ BMG Music in Los Angeles and after a few years, she was given the opportunity to be part of an executive team that launched the merchandising operation of the World’s Fair “EXPO” in Lisbon, Portugal. After working in Portugal for two years, she was transferred
to Sony/BMG Music division in London. Two years later and upon completion of her MBA, she was placed in a global finance role for Sony/BMG Music where she spent most of her time travelling internationally, enhancing the financial planning process of various Sony/BMG Music divisions around the globe. “I often had to pinch myself that I was so fortunate as a finance professional, to be able to work for a global music company and at the same time have the opportunity to live and work in so many incredible countries,” says Terry. After returning to the states and to have the flexibility for a family, Terry now works for herself as a finance consultant working with various companies throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
At the time they married in 2007, Terry had been in Europe for twelve years and Rich for more than five years. “We decided it was time to move back to the states to be closer to our immediate families and to start our own family. Rich was able to get transferred back to the Bay area with Cisco and we immediately started our search for a place to settle and call home,” says Terry. One day Rich brought Terry to the Danville/ Blackhawk area and she immediately fell in love with it. “The green rolling hills, the access to great hiking and biking on Mt. Diablo, the charming downtown area, the school district’s blue ribbon standing and the amenities of the club sealed the deal. After living in London for so long, it was also important to us to be able to walk to get a coffee or to have dinner. So we chose a home in the Silver Maple neighborhood due to the proximity to the plaza and for it’s incredible view of Mt. Diablo,” adds Terry.
The Links have one very active 9-yearold daughter named Danica who is in the 3rd grade at Tassajara Hills Elementary. Her activities include swimming for the Blackhawk Swim Team, girl’s golf, Girl Scouts, and she will be starting her first year of lacrosse in the spring. She is also an avid skier, and she loves music and art. Her favorite subject is math, and she especially enjoys the chess club at school. Three spoiled dogs that include two English Cream Retrievers named Bruce and Doolin as well as a Black Lab named Hank complete the family.
Travel and outdoor adventures are what the Links are all about says Terry. “We spend a tremendous amount of time in Tahoe skiing and hiking. Additionally, we love our trips to Alaska where we fish and enjoy all of the incredible natural beauty that the state has to offer. We continue to travel internationally but with the added benefit of sharing it with our daughter. It’s extremely important for us to expose her to other cultures, histories, traditions, and of course the incredible food that you can’t find here locally. One of our most memorable trips before we were married was to attend a wedding in Namibia with a close group of expat friends - it was a trip of a lifetime. We are currently planning on returning with the same group of friends but this time with our children.”
The Silver Maple community in Blackhawk turned out to be the perfect fit for the Links. “We hit the jackpot as far as neighborhoods go. Danica has a lot of friends her age in the neighborhood, and we’ve become great friends with the parents.The kids spend hours riding bikes and playing games in the cul-de-sac. It is such a treat for them to be able to walk over to a friend’s house on Saturday mornings to play. And it’s truly a community that looks after one another. Our close-knit group also plays on a Blackhawk Bocce Team, and we also attend a number of Blackhawk Country Club events together. Halloween in Blackhawk is probably our most favorite event. How lucky are we to have extended family just steps from our door?” says Terry.
